Blood Countess

[EvilKitten]

Elizabeth Báthory, also called Erzsébet Báthory in Hungarian and Alžbeta Bátoriová-Nádašdy in Slovak, was the Bloody Lady of Hungary. In order to preserve her youth and loveliness, the brutal and incomparably savage countess captured, tortured and slaughtered innumerable young women and bathed in their blood as part of her beauty regimen. Ah, vanity. Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry.

in the bottle - definitely florals. all florals.

wet on me - I smell the gardenia and the berries the most. Very alluring.

dry - the rose comes out and meshes with the other florals, and the berry is in the background. It's very light and ethereal and beautiful and complex. A definite keeper. I might have to buy a bigger bottle of this, even.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Juicy plum and berries.

 

Second Impression: Love this, love love love! It's so juicy but not overly "fruity", the lilac works so wonderfully with the fruits. I can't stop smelling this. It's deep, rich, sexy.

 

Final Analysis: Oh, the non LE's have been too good this time, another to the big bottle list!

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF - berries, florals

 

WEARING IT - complex, dark, mysterious, elusive. a lot like Erzsébet herself. definitely floral, but not overpowering or headachey in the least. all the scents are in perfect harmony with eachother. it's like a bolder, darker queen mab. there’s a coldness to this scent as it wears, a slight iciness. hours later the scent is still thick and dangerously seductive. i caught a whiff of it and the first thought that entered my head was sweet, cooling, clotting blood - the calm after the storm. this scent really has a story to it, and it's beautiful.

 

VERDICT - love it, want it, gotta have it!

[silverangel]

Hello berry! This is juicy, sweet, all plums and berries, if there's anything else in this I wouldn't know. It reminds me of Midwinter's Eve, the simplified, grownup version. And it's damn sexy. It makes me dance in my seat with anticipation. It's seductive. This is a gorgeous woman coming up to you in the bar and saying "I want to make you scream my name until your throat hurts." This is a dominant, dirty, sexual woman on the prowl and she's found you and you are all that will satisfy her desires tonight. She will have you, you can yeild or put up a fight, but she may prefer the latter.

[jj_j]

After reading these reviews, I had a very different idea of what Blood Countess would be compared to how it turned out on my skin.

 

I was delighted at the idea of berries and plum - maybe I had something more along the lines of Midwinter's Eve in mind - so Blood Countess took me by surprise when it had a spicy, carnation-like note when I put it on. After a few minutes, the berries and gardenia came out, blended with the spice note that I can only guess is the opium.

 

While the blackened plums sweetened this scent after a bit, it's not a sweet scent by any means. It's bold and brazen woman all the way; a real "I'll get what I want when I want" sort of scent. Regal and commanding, but lush and beautiful at the same time, it has a very commanding and almost haughty presence.

 

There's an opulence here that reminds me of Old Venice, although the scents aren't the same. Since Old Venice is a favorite, and this has the same kind of power and grandeur, I'll definitely be purchasing a bottle.

[lorajc]

Another unique blend by Beth. This goes on very gardenia-ey and spicy but that is tempered by the plum/berry combo. I can't detect the lilac, as it meshes with the gardenia and just creates a spicy floral scent. I have only tested this on my arm and not actually worn it, but I think I'm really going to like this. To me, this is similar to Florence (spicy/berry/amber) with the opium, crushed roses, gardenia and lilac sending it off into a slightly different spicy/berry/floral. Lovely and dark....very seductive.

 

ETA: I'm actually wearing this today (not testing it). It is even better than I thought it would be. The gardenia and lilac really meld into the berry spiciness on the dry down and it wears beautifully with my skin chemistry. A new favorite!! I might need to get another 5 ml bottle, as I can see myself wearing this a lot. The opium gives this just enough to ground it and keep it going during the dry down. LOVELY!

Edited December 30, 2004 by lorajc

[VorpalBunny]

When Blood Countess first went on, it smelled like gardenia and pears on me (and it wasn't just me because someone else told me "it smells like flowery pears"). After a little time, the fruitiness subsided and the lilac came a bit more to the forefront. It doesn't come across as overwhelmingly floral (like real lilacs can), but just a lovely fruity floral with the good elements of lilac and gardenia (some of my favourite scents in nature). It struck me that it is reminiscent of my beloved Fae -- it has a similar sweet fruity floralness, without having the association that Fae has for me. I'm going to need to get a big bottle of this one. I love it.

 

Plus I just love the idea of someone asking me "what's that lovely feminine perfume you are wearing" and saying "Blood Countess".

Edited December 28, 2004 by VorpalBunny

[sheelanagig]

I posted this on LJ when the forum was down, and I'm finally getting around to posting it here. ::whew!::

 

In the vial:

Very sweet. Much sweeter than I expected. Almost like plum wine, though I don't see wine in the description. In the vial, it threatens to be cloying, but on me, at least, this scent goes through some dramatic changes once on.

 

Wet:

Still the plummy/berry sweetness, but there's a heavy smokiness in the background. No florals yet, just fruit and smoke.

 

Drydown:

There you are, lilac. I like lilac, and lilac likes me. (Something) turns the scent softer, kind of pulls the sweetness back into the shadows. Suddenly it takes on a cinnamony sharpness which just as quickly dies down, and melds all the scents together.

 

It's very shadowy, very dark, yet much lighter, sweeter, and softer than I expected. It fades after about 10 minutes or so, but I didn't put very much on. I guess I'm going to have to slather this one, though the intitial fruitiness might be too much to slather all at once.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

I got an imp of this from SilverAngel.

 

First sniff:

 

This reminds me of Queen of Spades...it must be the plum. Plum is really all I can clearly pick out in this, although there's something resinous in the background that must be the opium. I'm hoping Blood Countess stays true to the way it smells in the vial once it's on because this is absolutely gorgeous!

 

Wet on skin:

 

I smell plums when I inhale and gardenia when I exhale. This reminds me very strongly of Queen of Spades almost to the point where I can barely tell them apart. I was worried this would be too floral, but the plum and opium caught my eye and I'm very glad I tried this one! This smells fantastic!

 

Dry down:

 

This is still a damn near dead-on duplicate of Queen of Spades, at least on me. It's fruity and purple but smoky and mysterious and I love it! I love Queen of Spades, too, so it's nice to know I have a replacement for when I run out of the Queen.

 

The bottom line:

 

The Countess is the Queen of Spade's long-lost twin. The two are almost identical, at least on me, and, like the Queen, the Countess is gorgeous!

[Lady Ravenglass]

Oooohh... I like! For some reason, I think I expected this to be a dark, DBR scent - shows how much attention I pay to descriptions

 

It's sort-of-light (I always think fruit scents are light for some reason) and very fruity, with that hint of what I always think is grapefruit, but isn't! I think it's the berries - it reminds me very closely of Mabon, which is a love I can't get enough of. That said, Mabon is now sulking at being usurped and a dab on my hand for comparison has turned rancid Yikes, these two don't like getting close. Now Mabon's gone nice and BC has gone bad! Nevermind. I shall keep them separated.

 

Yes, blackberries in Mabon and plum here. Close enough to be deliciously familiar and different enough to keep. And I can't get a bottle of Mabon anyway. Drying, the fruit evens out and a darker note settles down. It's still fruity, but the bright, dewy berries have given way to a rich plum wine. It's gotten sweeter too.

 

Mmm... this I love. I thought I didn't like light scents or florals, and once again BPAL has proved me wrong in the most wonderful way. Once the weather warms up and I start getting to the end of my Mabon, this will go in an order for a 5ml of juicy, berry womanly goodness. Wow. Gorgeous scent, though I do like the wet stage better than the drydown

 

Mmm... *snuggles imp close*

 

Edited for spelling

Edited January 18, 2005 by Lady Ravenglass

[Northernminx]

Plums and berries, with a light touch of floral. This was more flowery in the bottle than I thought but positively ripened when applied. Thick, juicy, sweet but there's still that touch of gardenia and lilac keeping it feminine. This is a dangerous scent, sweet and gorgeous at first but something just a touch darker underneath that. A "what's hiding behind that lovely face" sort of impression. Definite keeper.

[phaedrine]

Oh yum!

 

Sniffing the vial, I get the same lovely freshness I get when I sniff Kitsune-Tsuki, which must be the plum, as they both share that note.

 

Thankfully, my skin doesn't eat this the way it does poor Kitsune.

 

It's fresh, somewhat floraly, and somewhat fruity, though neither to excess. The opium is underneath it all, grounding it, making it dark, and adding spice when I get close to my wrist.

 

It's wafting around me now, the perfect blend of sweet/fruity/spicy. Going on the bottle list for sure!!!

[MissAnthropy]

Oh my heavens! I've found another winner! I'm so glad I took the risk and bought a 5ml of this right off the bat! I didn't even get a whiff of this before I purchased it. I couldn't resist trying such a complex blend!!!

 

Overwhelming! Rich. Lush. Mmmm. I can detect almost all of the notes in this scent, which is rare for me when it comes to more complex blends. But more than anything, I really smell the wild berry. The wild berry mixes with the lilac perfectly, too. Those 2 hints seem to leap out at me the most. Just what I was hoping for: a new 'lilac' blend.

 

I've slathered myself in it... my whole room smells like it. EVERYTHING around me smells like it. And I am tickled pink! Or rather, tickled blood red, in this case

 

 

-Leslie

[surf-tormented]

This on goes flat on me very fast. Maybe it is my chemical makeup. Smelled plum-y when first applied then turned flowerly and very light. I can hardly smell it now.

 

It that changes I will post here. I don't think it is though. I can sense a little spice now, what I expect Queen of Spades to smell like, but it isn't strong enough to win me over yet.

 

 

I will give this one some time and see if it changes on my skin.

[byrdie]

Bottle ~ Either a fruity mint or cherry cough syrup. Not obnoxiously so, but ... the hint is there

 

Wet ~ Somewhat velvety, actually. Velvet, the sharpness of an emerging floral and a bit of cherry, still.

 

Drying ~ Cherry, marzipan, and florals. This is just darned strange.

 

Drydown ~ It's mellowing, but the sharper note isn't making me happy. I think I'm getting the detergent edge that people keep talking about. oofah.

 

Dry ~ The detergent edge is going away as it fades, but ... the fading cherry scent isn't turning me on. Indeed, again I'm getting twitchy nostril hairs. Am I taking too big of snorts from this stuff or something?

 

Fade ~ Almost gone, actually. It's like an after-waft of cherry-scented detergent.

 

Final thoughts ~ Meh. No trips down memory lane, no ecstatic sniffing, no idea of what season this would be great for. It's either simply there and scented, or somewhat abusive to my nose hairs.

[Etaven]

Got this one as a freebie.

 

In the bottle, I definitely smell the plum... it's very fruity, but with a sort of incense-ish-ness (the opium, I guess!) over it.

 

On me, the smell really reminds me of the candle section of the Pier 1 store near me... not necessarily a bad thing, but I'm not sure the flowery-fruityness suits me very well. It's a smell like spiced fruits, a bit reminiscent of my mom's mulled cider. Underneath, I faintly get a scent like cherry cough syrup. Not enough to really disturb me, but it's faintly there. As it fades, this gets harder to detect, and the general scent is mostly just that sort of fruity-flowery candle store smell.

[anmorata]

I had a very similar experience to Madame Nyx with Blood Countess. Upon application, I was thrilled to smell the dark plum notes immediately coming up. However, within 10 minutes, Blood Countess turned to a slightly spicy floral with just the tiniest hint of plum.

 

I normally dislike florals.. however, this particular scent really works for me. The longer I wear it, the more I like it. I do believe this will be a 5ml or 10ml on my next order.

[Sheila]

I thought I'd love this scent--I like plum and florals and adore opium. But when I first applied this, I smelled sweet fruit--almost lotus-like--and cinnamon. On me the scent remained sweet berries and plum with something spicy (I don't think it's cinnamon--no burning--but it's similar). I got no florals and no opium (though opium could be contributing to the sweetness of this blend). This wasn't what I expected from the description. It's a nice scent, but not me--off to swaps.

[sarada]

Purple incense -- ahhh, this is just what I hoped for.

 

I bought a bottle of this unsniffed on the hope that it would be like Queen of Spades, and yes, it is almost exactly like Queen of Spades on me! Round, dark, overripe plum and berry swathed in golden smoke -- I don't really get any florals from this at all except the slightest whiff of powdery lilac in the background when I sniff the bottle...on my skin these wonderful rich smoky incense notes propel the dark bloody juice of purple fruit. I only got to try a little bit of Queen of Spades but the things that I liked about it, are identical to the things that I like in Blood Countess. Medea also dries down to a similar smoky purple on me, but I love Blood Countess even more.

 

It feels regal, bloody, and evil. So glad I got a bottle, I will want more in the future and I'm already going to put this up in my top 15!

[inkstone]

In the imp: Fruity florals.

 

Wet: Berries and plum over dark, violet smoke. I can only assume that the smoky note is from the opium.

 

Drydown: Mostly the plum and the lilac. There's a similarity in those paired scents to Kitsune-Tsuki, but the smokiness adds a certain depth.

 

Final thoughts: This blend is both light in scent, but dark in tone. I wasn't sure in the wet stages because the smokiness bordered on off-putting, but the drydown's very pretty. It's very similar to Queen of Spades, so people looking for QoS replacements should definitely give this blend a try.

[oatmealneko]

Imp: Plum & gardenia

Wet: Plum, but the gardenia is strong & there's a tiny bit of lilac.

Dry: Still plum, but gardenia is weaker now & the lilac is much stronger.

 

The lilac & gardenia even out & they combine to become a very heady floral on me. The plum is still there, but it's fighting a losing battle against the two florals. I had hoped that this would be another plum/light floral scent, but I don't think I'm meant to wear anything with lilac in it.

Edited April 4, 2005 by oatmealneko

[empi girl]

Mmm, a very rich scent, but not overly heavy or dark.

 

This is very juicy, thick with plums and berry, with a smoky sweetness to it (opium?). I don't catch florals at all, but I do seem to smell a hint of clove... And while it is fruity, it is not sticky-sweet or bright.

 

It doesn't seem to last overly long on me, but it is nice while it does. Can't decide if it will be big bottle or not...

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Craft store! The very essence of a craft store. Potpourri, dried flowers, wicker baskets, wooden garden benches, and fruity scented candles.

 

Wearing: Well. This smells evil. Yes, it's turned from a regular craft store to an evil craft store. With more spices of darkness and fruits of wrongdoings. I think the craft store smell comes from gardenia...and I swear there's cinnamon in this, judging by the fact that I keep smelling that dry cinnamon stick scent and the fact that the oil burned a little upon application. I also smell something very, very much like red wine, which is probably the berry. Above all, the prominent notes are plum, gardenia, and rose, as well as whatever spices are giving it the potpourri scent.

 

Later: Well, this doesn't change much, to tell you the truth. No later for you!

 

Overall: I really, really like the smell of craft/candle stores. Honestly, I do. But I don't want to smell like one myself. This is a gorgeous scent that should be worn by someone closer to the hearth than I am. I'll either swap it out or keep it for my oil burner.

[Phaedra]

At first I get a floral smell- maybe gardenia with a hint of spice. After a few minutes the plum comes through. Then it softens and develops a very fruity scent. This one is nice but not really me. It feels like it's for a very regal, sophisticated older woman. And it's definately more of a dressing up or evening fragrance.

[Finny]

A very feminine Tintagel.

 

I can smell a spicy, sweet floral. The floral is very light, I can pick out the lilac, the gardenia is very light and sweet. The rose is dry and light, it reminds me of the rose in Wolfsbane. The plum is juicy sweet and with the berry, they really balance the floral notes for me. The other notes drown out the opium, but as I wear it it does peek out toward the end and I get a bit a little whiff of smokiness.

 

I was afraid of the floral notes in this, I am so glad I decided to give it a try. It is a well put together blend, and I really like it.